The present invention relates to a compressible handle for a tool. More specifically, the present invention relates to an adjustable shock absorbing handle for tools, the use of which can cause impact to the user.
The use of tools such as shovels, scrapers and garden tools can cause pain or injury to the user due to impact as the tool is pushed repeatedly against a surface or into the ground or other resistant material. It is known to use compressible tool handles which contain a spring or other mechanism to absorb at least some of the shock to a user of such tools. Patent documents GB 2468509, GB 2472045, U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,954, U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,634, U.S. Pat. No. 7,118,145, US 2004/0123470, US 2012/0103644 and WO 2013/150285 describe such tool handles.
In addition, it is desirable to use tool handles which can be attached to a number of different tool heads or handgrips, since this avoids the need for purchasing and storing a number of different tools, each with its own attached handle. However, the amount of shock absorption needed by a user depends upon the type of tool used and the conditions under which it is used. Thus, a person wishing to use a shock-absorbing handle for use with different tool heads is unlikely to find a single handle which will absorb shock adequately for all applications. For high impact activities such as scraping ice, removing shingles or floor tiles, or shoveling hard or rocky earth, a handle may be desired which is less compressible, and which allows the worker to use most of the force applied to the handle of the tool to do work, while retaining some shock absorbing ability to protect the worker. On the other hand, a more compressible handle may be more comfortable to use when shoveling light snow or loose dirt, where application of a large force is not usually necessary and where a higher degree of shock absorption can be desirable to cushion a sudden unexpected impact; for example, if the tool should hit a rock or the edge of a curb.
Therefore, there is a need for a shock absorbing, compressible tool handle which has an adjustable compressibility, so as to be useful for tasks where different levels of shock absorption are needed.